Twilight of the Soul
by Death-Angel-Hikari
Summary: Acquaintances turn into something more. A year after the destruction of Hanagakure, warning signs begin appearing, starting with the unexplainable murder of a village elder. Now, the remaining Chuunin and Jounin must find the pattern, break the chain, and
1. Prologue: Darkness

_The fall of a hidden village within the Fire Country. Two survivors, both of the same clan. Acquaintances deepen, one of them leaves. Suddenly, death befalls the Leaf, chuunin and jounin alike struck down randomly. Now, one who has known the bitterness of surviving his clan members must help track down the murderer and save the village...But at what cost?_**

* * *

**

**Prologue: Darkness**

Shadows. Silent, moving, _floating_ all around.

_Where...Where am I? _

Unable to move, not even a finger. Panic builds, chest tightens. Calm down...breathe...calm down...

_Is this...a dream?_

No sound to be heard; no sound at all. The air, bitter...no, not air, not wind...

_W-water! What -_

"_Onee-chan_!"

Turn, quickly!

"Who-"

No one.

"_Onee-chan_! Please..."

That voice again!

_Where have I heard that voice before...?_

Footsteps, slow, light. But whose footsteps?...Oh.

_But wait... Wasn't there water before?_ Dry ground all of a sudden; not a drop of moisture anywhere.

The voice, gone now, only an echo on the wind.

Breathe in, breathe out. Heart pounding...

_Calm down..._

Still, darkness. Shadows within shadows, grinning, leering, _laughing_...everywhere.

"Hello?"

No answer. Glancing left and right. No one there.

_So...who called me?_

Running now, feet pounding the ground, wind howling. Louder and louder. Deafening. Thundering.

"_Onee-chan_!"

Again, the voice calls, panic-stricken now. Don't stop, ignore it; it's a trick! Keep running!

_Finally!_

Light...up ahead. Run, run towards it, before the darkness -

Someone - no, _something_ reaching out. A hand, grasping and clawing. Pull away! Get to the light! Quickly! RUN!

_Yes! Light...salvation. No more darkness. No more confusion. No more tricks... No...more..._

Gasp for breath; back in the darkness again, treading water once more.

_Didn't I leave this place already?_

Confused again...clear your mind! You have to think straight! Get yourself out of this!

Glance left, glance right. Still no one, still nothing there. Just water, a neverending ocean...endless, fluid darkness

_But why!_

"Can you hear me?"

Another voice...a man's. Where is it coming from? No one's there! Jaw moves, ready to shout back an answer...

_Wha-?_ Eyes widen, horror and surprise. _My...my voice! I - I can't_...

"Are you there? Please answer me..." Another voice, another girl - no, a woman - this time.

"_Onee-chan_!"

"You don't have to talk; just move. Show us that you're still...alive. Please, Kotone..."

The man again. _Kotone...? Oh, yes...that's my name..._

_How could I have forgotten...?_

"Kotone-_neechan_, it's me..."

_What's this_?

A hand, small, pale, thin, reaching out...out of the darkness.

_No! Get away!_

No use; it grabs on.

_What the-?_

It's warm, but trembling.

_Whose hand _is _this?_

"Kotone, can you hear me?"

_I can hear you! I'm here!_

Try again; still no voice. _What's wrong with me?_

Move an arm, a hand, a finger. Still no response. Brow furrows. _Why?_ _What's happening here?_

"Hello? Is anyone there?" _Yes! My voice is back! And I can move!_

Slow footsteps, fading into the distance. They're leaving! Stumble to your feet...now run! Run again, as fast and as hard as you can! You can still catch them!

"Hello! I'm here now! I can hear you! Where are you?"

Run, go straight. Don't stop, keep running...There!

_That must be them!_

A man, short brown hair; the woman, wavy black hair; and a tiny girl, around eight, brown-black hair in pigtails.

"Wait! Wait for me!"

"Come on, Chitose, Kaoru. Let's go..."

"But-" The girl protests, eyes welling up. Why is she sad?

"We have to tell the village elders about this, and we must act quickly."

"But, Papa-" Tears start flowing now. She's crying? What's wrong?

_Now why am _I_ crying?_

The woman, Chitose, moves, a hand on the small girl's shoulder, comforting, persuading. "Come along, Kaoru; your father is right: we have to move _now_."

"I don't want to leave _Onee-chan_!" A vehement cry. Why all the fuss?

The woman named Chitose looks angry, brow creased, mouth turned downwards. "Kaoru!" No gentleness, no patience in her. "Don't you get it! Your sister is _dead_ now! We don't know what attacked her while on the way back from her mission, but she's _gone_!"

_Who's dead? Wait...Kaoru...that's...that's my sister! And...I'm _dead_? What_ _mission? What the hell is going on?_

"You're wrong! She's _not _dead! She _can't _be!"

_Yes! I'm _not_ dead! Please...Mother, Father...listen to her!_

"Well, she is! Now...please..." Chitose stops shouting, a hand to her mouth. Her eyes are teary, too. Her voice breaks.

Go closer now...yes, touch them...maybe you can help...Eyes widen.

_No way! My hand..._

What's this? You can't touch any of them; hands, fingers, just go right through!

_No..._ _Am I _really_ dead...? Am I dead and just don't know it? But...that's can't be..._

The man, woman, and now-wailing child slowly fade away. Catch up to them! Hurry!

"Wait! Wait, please!"

Only the darkness left now, closing in. Faster, faster still. No time to look for an exit, no time to escape.

_No! Not again!_

"NOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

* * *

A/N: Yes, everyone, another story. I'm kind of stuck on ideas for 'Hikari' right now - I've been studying for finals (not helpful in the creative area). Anyway, I came across this in my archive - I'd written it two weeks back - and decided to post it. I might take this fic down later, or I might not. Anyway, time will tell.

I know, this 'prologue' is nigh confusing, but, really now, we can't always have a prologue that says right up front who the characters are and stuff, right?

Dewa mata! Peace out and God bless!


	2. Chapter 1: Haze

A/N: Here you go! Chapter 1! Hope you all enjoy!

Disclaimer: Aki - Hikari doesn't own Naruto and its characters. 'Nuff said.

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**Chapter 1: Haze**

Purple orbs shot open, blinking in an attempt for vision to clear. Only there was no sunlight, just an uneasy twilight.

"Where...am I?" A murmured question, unanswered.

Slowly, the owner of those amethyst eyes slowly, painfully sat up. Presently, her eyesight adjusted to the gloom, and she glanced around. She was in a room whose walls were stone, along the walls were several large transparent cases, each one filled with an eerie, greenish liquid. She glanced behind her. There, propped up against the wall, was a similar transparent case which must have held liquid, but the glass was broken now, and shards of it littered the floor around her. She glanced down at herself and saw that her clothes were rather damp. Slowly she realized that _she_ was the one who had broken the glass. But why? She glanced around once more.

Here and there, bodies, some mangled beyond recognition, lay on the cold stone floor. Amethyst eyes widened in shock. "They're...they're dead...?"

Confusion.

"But...why aren't _I _dead?"

"_Onee-chan_!"

Startled, the girl turned around. But there was no one there.

_Who-?_

Then she remembered the 'dream'..._I'm hearing things now...they aren't anywhere near here..._ She sighed. If only the voices would stop. The girl glanced down at her lap. And gasped again.

_Why..._

Her hands...covered with blood. And in front of her...several bloody _kunai _engraved with what she recognized as her family's crest.

"No..." Horror, shock, denial, swelling up in her, in her heart, her mind. "This is...this is just a dream. It _has_ to be!" She didn't kill anyone!

...did she?

Quickly, she got to her feet, made her way over to the door at the far end, staggering every now and then. _Please...that door_ has _to be open. _She was frantic now, overwhelmed by the thoughts nagging at the back of her mind.

_I killed...I killed them! So many...There are _so many_ of them...so much blood...and I killed them...I'm alive...but I _killed _them!_

She tried to ignore it, but somehow knew it was the truth. And it was this that brought her to her current decision.

_Get out! Have to...get out of here! I don't care where 'here' is; I have to _leave_ this place, get away...before someone comes after me...I have to...I have to...run..._

At length she reached the gigantic door. Summoning all of her strength, she pushed and shoved, willing it to move, to budge. Finally, as though a giant hand had appeared out of nowhere and pounded on it, the door gave way. The girl, raven hair flying, tumbled to the dusty ground under her own momentum. She picked herself up quickly enough, strength returning to her legs, just enough for her to run, as she so wished.

A few moments later, she glanced back at where she had just escaped from. The house - was it even a house? - looked to have around three levels, and she had come from the lowest one. She shivered. Even from outside it gave her the chills, and it wasn't just where the house was standing. Yes, its surroundings were rather scary - old, gnarled trees with twisted boughs that looked like withered hands with vines hanging off them, tendrils so dark they looked like slowly coagulating blood dripping out of a corpse - it was the house itself. Gray walls, darkened windows, and the knowledge of what lay inside - at least, inside the room she had come from - combined to give off an aura of foreboding, as if the house were some slumbering creature of darkness that would awake at any moment.

She shuddered and turned away, never stopping. Onwards she ran, into the beautiful, majestic sunset. So she was heading west. She grinned. _I'm going the right way..._

_I have to get back now..._ she thought, the grin turning into a smile, one that was a mixture of determination and sadness. _They're probably worried about me..._

* * *

Hatake Kakashi glanced up, shielding his one eye from the harsh sunlight with his hand, smiling behind his mask. This day was turning out to be good one, he decided. Perfect for a training session with his former students. 

All three of them - Haruno Sakura, Uchiha Sasuke, and Uzumaki Naruto - had reached the age of sixteen and no longer in need of a mentor, but Kakashi had become quite fond of them through the years, and treasured the times when they would train together, just as they had when they first became a team. Frankly, he missed those days, but did not allow himself to dwell on them.

He reached one hand into a pocket of his jacket and brought out his favorite book. He would read on the way to the training grounds. But no sooner had he turned the pages than a sudden sound broke the silence.

"Kakashi!"

The silver-haired jounin snapped the book shut and shoved it back into the pocket before going over to Naruto - the one who had called his attention.

"What is it, Naruto?" he asked.

Instead of replying, the blonde ninja raised an arm, pointing towards something amongst the bushes in the Forest of Death.

Kakashi squinted, trying to decipher the form through the dappled sunlight. His single visible eye widened, and he darted through the trees towards the prone figure Naruto had pointed out.

Sakura and Sasuke noticed that Kakashi and Naruto had fallen behind, and the two came over, curiousity aroused. "What's happening?" Sakura asked, glancing up at the now-taller Naruto. She was often pleased to see this, because when they had first come together as a team, the blonde had been shorter than Sakura by one inch!

"I saw something in the forest, and I think Kakashi's gone to take a closer look..." the blue-eyed Chuunin replied.

"Was it...a person? A ninja from Konoha or the the neighboring villages?"

Naruto shrugged. "I don't know. But Kakashi certainly seems to think so..."

A few minutes later, Kakashi came back through the trees. On his back, he was carrying the 'something' Naruto had spotted in the forest. True enough, it _was_ a person, a girl with pale skin and jet-black hair. None of them could see her face for it was buried in the fabric of Kakashi's jacket. Apparently, she was unconscious.

"C'mon, you three, let's go back. This girl needs tending to." Kakashi instructed, his voice soft.

"Right."

Silent, the foursome turned around, heading back towards the gates of Konohagakure.

* * *

A/N: Aaargh! It's so friggin' short! (performs a deep bow) I'm sorry, everyone. It's just that when I was typing this, that last part seemed a good place to end it... Gomen... 

Anyway, please let me know what you think _and_ if you want me to continue this fic. Arigatou!

Dewa mata! Peace out and God bless!


	3. Chapter 2: Meeting

A/N: _Konnichiwa, minna_! I'm back (finally!) with a new chapter for 'Twilight'. I've been pretty busy catching up with people back in my home village, so I wasn't able to really work on any fics. As soon as I went back to Metro Manila to register for the second semester, I worked my brain into liquid form! Also, I had to work out a few kinks for the later part of this fic. The bad news is...I've lost my 'cheat sheet'! I have to work on it _again_!

Oh, well...

Disclaimer - Aki: (glare) As if you still don't know this part...

oOo

**Chapter 2: Meeting**

Blink once, twice.

_Ouch...too much light...Hang on..._

_Hey…where am I?!_

* * *

Sakura watched with growing delight as the figure on her bed began to stir.

"Finally, you're awake!" she exclaimed. "You've been asleep the whole day since yesterday," she continued, reaching out and touching the other girl's hand.

At the contact, the raven-haired teen shot up, gasping. It was as though she'd just realized that she wasn't where she was supposed to be.

"Wh-who are you?" she asked, looking puzzled. "I don't remember seeing you in Hanagakure..."

"H-hanagakure?" It was Sakura's turn to look puzzled. "Is that your village?"

"Y-yes...Yes, I am..." was the stammered reply. The pink-haired girl smiled.

"Well...you're not in Hanagakure anymore."

"Then..." The slim black eyebrows creased with worry. "It wasn't a dream..." she sighed, and the turned back to Sakure. "But...where am I now? And how did I get here?"

"You're in Konohagakure," Sakura answered. "One of my friends found you, and then we brought you here, to my house."

"I see..."

Silence prevailed for a few minutes, each girl wrapped in her own thoughts.

"I hope you feel up to talking a bit more," Sakura said, breaking the silence. She stood up. "My former teacher might want to have a little talk with you now that you're awake." At the look of fright on the now-conscious girl's face, she gave a small laugh. "Oh, not that you've broken any rules...Kakashi just wants to get to know you better; I think he got a little interested when he saw the emblem engraved on your _hitai_-_ate_...

"'Kakashi'?"

The question was left unanswered as the door swung shut. There were murmurs and whispers from the other side. This continued for a few more moments before the door opened once more, and a man with silver hair - the girl on the bed assumed this was 'Kakashi' - stepped in. He went over to the bed and sat down in the chair Sakura had just vacated. He smiled, or rather, seemed to smile.

"So, you're awake." he said cheerfully. It wasn't a question.

The girl nodded slowly, taking in his single obsidian eye, curiously half-covered face, and floppy silver-gray hair. "Were...were you the one who brought me here? The one who found me?" she asked quietly.

"Well, it was Naruto, one of my former students, who spotted you first. You were lying unconscious in the forest a short distance from the city gates. But yes, I was the one who brought you here. For now, you're a guest at the Haruno residence, just until you feel better and we can find a vacant apartment for you. I'm Hatake Kakashi, by the way."

"I...I guessed as much..." the girl murmured, merely staring down at her blanketed legs. She had a faint inkling of what had taken place - she'd probably fainted in the forest - and felt a small stirring of shame at having been found in such a disheveled state.

After a few more minutes, Kakashi broke the silence. "Care to tell me about yourself?"

"I...I guess so..." she agreed slowly, feeling it was the least she could do since these people were so nice to help her. "But I wouldn't know where to start..."

"You could start with your name," the silver-haired Jounin suggested, "And then we'll see where it goes from there..."

The girl nodded, ebony strands falling across her shoulder and catching the sunlight streaming in through the window. "My...my name is Kotone, and I grew up in-"

"Hanagakure?"

At the startled look on Kotone's face, he smiled. "Yes, I know which village you grew up in; Sakura told me before I came in here that that was the first thing you mentioned. Oh, and this is yours, isn't it?" He reached into a pocket of his vest and brought out a dark blue strip of cloth. In the middle was a metal plate, engraved with four interlacing circles of uniform size. "You were wearing this around your waist when I found you, but I removed it and kept it for you."

"Thank you." She held out her hand for the _hitai-ate_, and Kakashi handed it over. Once it was in her hands, she fingered the soothing, cool metal, the wave of memories threatening to overwhelm her. She suppressed it, and turned back to the masked Jounin, receiving another smile from him. "You guessed right, Hatake-_san_-"

"Just call me Kakashi. I'm not used to being called by my surname."

Kotone nodded in understanding; she hadn't gotten used to that, either. "All right then. Anyway, Kakashi-_san_, you're right: I grew up in Hanagakure-"

"Isn't that the village that was attacked and destroyed around four years ago?" Kakashi suddenly asked.

"F-four years ago?" The amethyst orbs widened - was it in shock or horror? Perhaps both. "It's been _that_ long?"

Kakashi leaned forward, curious all of a sudden. "What do you mean by that?"

"You mean to say that Hanagakure has lain in ruins for four years now?" She turned her worried face towards him

"Yes, it...it has..." The Jounin replied, at the same time feeling some sort of pity towards the young girl. _What happened to you, Kotone? Why were you away from your home for _that_ long? _

"The villagers...the other _shinobi_..." Kotone clutched at the blankets, her knuckles stark white from the pressure. "What...became of them?"

A slow shake of the head, and Kotone averted her gaze, staring instead at the emblem of her forehead protector. Kakashi watched silently, debating whether to push the matter further or not. He decided on the latter; better to leave her to come to terms with the facts, or grieve, if just for a short while.

At length, he got to his feet and stretched. "Well...Kotone-_san_, is it?" At a nod from the girl, he went on. "Do you feel well enough to get dressed? I'm not sure what happened to you, but it wouldn't do well for you to keep to yourself; I think it would be best if you met the others - and I mean my former students. And they can introduce you to their peers, if you want."

"Um..."

"Great! We'll be waiting for you downstairs." And with that, Kakashi was gone

It was only when he was halfway down the stairs that Kakashi remembered he hadn't asked for her surname. He shrugged it off; Kotone was a rather uncommon name in these parts; it wouldn't be hard to what he was looking for.

* * *

"So I'm in Konohagakure..." Kotone murmured softly. Straightening the collar of her kimono top, she turned to the window and leaned on the sill, gazing out over the portion of the village she could see. She sighed, tears threatening to spill over and stain the gray collar of her top. "If Hanagakure hadn't been destroyed, it would have become a large village like this..." she said aloud.

She sighed again, this time allowing a few tears to escape their prison. She knew she hadn't mentioned that she had had a sister, but it was just as well. She bent down and adjusted her shoes - they were more like boots, actually, but were open-toed - so that they fit more comfortably.

She tied the slim belt around the crimson _obi_ at her waist, the ends trailing to the backs f her knees, and grasped the metal charm dangling at the front of the short, dark gray skirt, which she wore over upper knee-length shorts made of mesh. She took in the horizontal symmetry of her clan's emblem - shaped somewhat like an 'L' when written in script but with a larger top and bottom loops and a smaller tail at each end.

"_Otoosan_..._Okaasan_..." she whispered, tightly clutching the metal rim encircling the emblem. "So it's been four years since I saw you both...and Kaoru..." Kotone sighed. Her parents had most probably perished during the slaughter of the village. And if her sister was, by some miracle, alive, she knew that there were slimmer chances of finding her, given the amount of time that had passed.

* * *

"Didn't you say you were from Hana, Uchihara-_san_?" Naruto asked in between mouthfuls of teriyaki. Team Seven, minus Kakashi, had invited the newcomer out to dinner in an effort to make her feel more comfortable and at home. Sakura had insisted that they go to a local teahouse instead of to Ichiraku Ramen, so the Naruto had had to force himself to make do with the other dishes. Needless to say, his appetite hadn't diminished despite the obvious lack of his favorite food.

Kotone let out a soft giggle at the blonde ninja's eating habits. "Yes, I was born and raised there. And please feel free to use my given name, Naruto-_san_. You don't mind me using your first name, do you?"

Naruto shook his head, a few bean sprouts hanging from his mouth. "Nope! Go ahead! And I think that goes for all of us here, right?"

Sakura nodded, but Sasuke did nothing, taking in Kotone's physical features. If not for her surname, the onyx-eyed teen might have thought she was a long-lost Uchiha clan member who somehow wound up in another village. Her slight, speedy build, long black hair, pale skin, and manners all seemed to remind him of his mother and other female members of his now-dead clan.

"So what made you leave your village, Kotone-_san_?" Sakura, who had already finished eating, asked. She leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table. "That is, if you don't mind my asking..."

"I'm sorry, Sakura-_san_, but I'm afraid I _do_ mind..." the amethyst-eyed teen said quietly as she put down her chopsticks. "All you need to know is that I left it four years ago and not by choice; and now that I had the chance to return, there was nothing to return to..."

"Oh, my..." the jade-eyed girl gave a small gasp, her hand to her mouth. She'd understood immediately - judging from the sullen expression - what their new companion had meant by her statement.

"You mean you were kidnapped?" Naruto asked all of a sudden, setting down his glass of red bean wine quite noisily.

"Naruto!" Sakura exclaimed, indignant. Talk about rude!

Sasuke reached over and clocked the blue-eyed teen upside his head. "_Dobe_. You don't go asking people that sort of question so nonchalantly, not to mention bluntly." The raven-haired teen settled back in his seat. "I swear, you have the manners of a three-year-old."

"Hey!" Naruto shot back as he fixed his forehead protector, which had gone slightly askew due to the blow he'd just received. "I was only curious. And you _don't_ need to hit me on the head!"

"You may have been just curious, Naruto, but that was still the wrong way to ask it!" Sakura clarified. She turned to the newcomer, smiling apologetically. "I'm sorry, Kotone, but Naruto hasn't exactly picked up the basic tenets of socializing yet."

"What are you-" Naruto started, only to be interrupted - politely! - by Kotone herself.

"No, it's all right; there's no problem," she said, offering a reassuring smile. "I know he was just trying to satisfy his curiosity, and things like that happen all the time. I don't mind." She then turned to Naruto. "I guess since you figured it that much out-"

"So you _were_ kidnapped!"

Kotone held up a hand to Sasuke and Sakura, asking them not to react. "Yes, I guess you could say I was. But I'd rather not discuss. I promise, I'll tell you what happened after I woke up - which was pretty recently, mind you - but not now. I don't think I'm ready yet."

"We understand, Kotone-_san_..." Sakura said, replying for Naruto in case the latter 'forgot' his manners again. She stood up and dug into her hip pouch, looking for her wallet. Beside her and across from her, Sasuke and Naruto were doing the same, while Kotone glanced at her lap, slightly embarrassed. She didn't think she had enough money on her to pay for her part of the meal.

Suddenly, Kotone felt a malevolent chakra signature, uncomfortably close to where she and Team Seven were seated. She stood up quickly, her eyes darting left and right, scanning the area.

"Kotone-_san_?" Sakura glanced up from counting her money. "What-"

"Get down!" Kotone exclaimed, grabbing Naruto and Sakura by their collars and forcing them under the table. She popped back up a split-second later to see Sasuke chasing after a dark figure.

"Sasuke-_san_!" she called, giving chase. She didn't know why, but the sense of danger seemed to increase. She sped up until she was practically beside Sasuke and then dived on top of him. She wrapped her arms around his, tumbling to the floor with him. A blink of an eye away from colliding with the floor of the restaurant, she let him go and went into the proper position for falling so as not to get injured. Sasuke did the same, rounding up on his feet almost instantly.

"Dammit, woman, what are you-" he started, chakra swirling behind his eyes and activating his clan's _kekkei_ _genkai_. He was cut short when the spot where he'd been standing seconds earlier - before Kotone practically barreled into him - exploded, shards of flooring whizzing off in all directions.

_A...an exploding tag! _he thought, instinctively shielding himself - and Kotone - from the flying debris. Around them, other diners had taken refuge under their tables, behind the counter, even going as far as jumping out the window (thankfully it was only a one-story restaurant).

When the heat and flames from the blast had subsided, Sasuke uncurled from the defensive position he'd taken to protect both him and Kotone, and quickly surveyed the area. The dark figure had gone.

"Kotone-_san_," he began, his voice gruff but gentle. He held out a hand to the raven-haired teen. "Whoever it is, he's gone now. He used the exploding tag to mask his escape."

Kotone gratefully took Sasuke's hand, and he helped her to her feet, but she was far from relieved. "No, Sasuke-_san_," she began quietly. "The exploding tag was for neither diversion nor escape. Whoever threw it, meant to kill you."

She straightened up as she said this, and then looked Sasuke in the eye to show that she was serious. When this happened, though, it had a different effect than what she anticipated. The Uchiha gasped involuntarily, shocked beyond words by what he saw.

"Sasuke-_san_? What...what's wrong?"

Sasuke shook his head, hardly daring to believe what he was seeing. "You...your eyes..." he choked out, words failing him at this point. Kotone's eyes, a gentle purple when they'd first met that very afternoon, were now an angry blood-red, three black _tomoe_ encircling the dark pupil, and near her eyes, at the side of her head, veins bulged.

"What...what do you mean?" Kotone asked, bewildered. She blinked a few times; the veins disappeared and the red tint faded away, leaving the gentle amethyst. "What about my eyes?"

"Sasuke-_kun_! Kotone-_san_!" Sakura's voice interrupted the dark-eyed teen. "Are you guys okay?" She and Naruto ran over, their faces full of concern.

"We're fine, Sakura-_san_." Kotone replied, giving the worried girl a reassuring smile. "The blast wasn't that large, and none of the really dangerous debris hit us."

The pink-haired medic nin heaved a sigh of relief. "That's good." Then she smiled at the newcomer. "Oh, I forgot to tell you Kotone-_san_: you don't have to worry; the meal's on us. We decided to treat you since this is your first night here."

"B-but -" Kotone caught herself, took a deep breath, and began again. "I...appreciate the gesture, Sakura-_san_. That was kind of you."

"Any time, Kotone-_san_!" Naruto said loudly, slinging an arm around the raven-haired girl's shoulders. Amethyst eyes widened with surprise at the close contact to a member of the opposite sex, but Kotone calmed down soon enough.

"It's getting pretty late..." Sakura chimed in, prying the blonde's arm away from their newfound friend. "Kotone-_san_, we should probably get back..."

"_Hai_..."

"Hey, I'll come, too. My apartment is in the same general direction, anyway..." Naruto piped up. "So, Kotone-_san_, what's it like in Hanagakure?"

"_Naruto_!"

_Whack!_

"Ow! What was that for?"

"You're doing it _again_, numbskull!"

Sasuke watched numbly as the trio walked away. He shoved his hands into his pockets and made his way over to the restaurant door. Soon he was out in the street, his companions almost at the first corner, but his apartment was in the opposite direction. He began walking, trying to look as nonchalant as possible, but he was still pretty shaken up by what he'd seen a few minutes ago.

_Why does that girl have the Sharingan _and_ the Byakugan?_

oOo

A/N: Ahahahaha! A mystery! ...well, something like it. More on this perplexing subject in the next chapter.

So, what did you think? So far, this fic has only ONE reader. _Arigatou_, Sherby-san! I hope you'll enjoy this fic 'til the end...

Well, that's all for now! Peace out and God bless!


	4. Chapter 3: Doushite Ka Na?

A/N: Kyahaha! Third chapter! And I can color using markers now! (useless information, that... XD) Oh, and in case you haven't noticed, I've been trying to follow a pattern for the chapter titles, but now I've broken it! I couldn't come up with descriptions for the times of day (noon, daybreak, dawn, etc.) that would fit this chapter and the previous one! Haha! XD I _might_ try to go back to that pattern, and I might not...Only time will tell..._jikan ka tatte bawakaru...cry...ima mo ji wakeja iu datte ko makasenai..._

Sorry 'bout that...felt the need to burst into song...XD

Disclaimer: Do I need to explain?

**Chapter 3: Doushite Ka Na?**

"Wh-what?!" Kotone blinked, at a loss for words. It was the day after the 'restaurant encounter', and the young Uchiha had decided to tell the amethyst-eyed teen what he had seen before consulting going to Kakashi. "A-are you s-saying that...that I-"

Sasuke nodded sullenly, his hands still in his pockets. Sakura's mom had let him in and, thankfully, Sakura herself wasn't home to chew him out for acting as Naruto had the night before. He walked over to the bedside table - Kotone was using one of the spare rooms in the Haruno house - picked up a navy blue hand mirror, and then walked over to Kotone. He held it up in front of her face.

"Tell me, Kotone: your eyes, what color are they?" He asked quietly, not wanting to scare her or give off any negative impression whatsoever.

"M-my eyes?" Kotone cocked her head to the side a little. "They're…purple, just like my dad's." She felt the onyx-eyed teen was trustworthy and wouldn't play tricks of any sort on anyone - especially someone who wasn't even born in the same village - but she refused to believe what she had just been told: that she somehow possessed the bloodline traits of two seperate clans, yet was member of neither. Was that even possible?

"Now imagine yourself in a dangerous situation, just like last night at the restaurant." Sasuke commanded. Kotone, feeling it best to comply, closed her eyes, trying to picture herself in the middle of such a scenario. And then she opened her eyes, expecting the crimson of the Sharingan and the bulging veins of the Byakugan to greet her in the mirror. She blinked in surprise, and Sasuke raised an eyebrow.

Nothing. The purple irises were still...well, purple, and no veins were visible anywhere.

"Are you _sure_ of what you saw, Sasuke-_san_?" Kotone asked, gently taking the hand mirror from Sasuke and laying it back on the wooden table. "Maybe it was the shock or stress of being almost blown apart that - _gyaaah_!" She just jumped back quickly, held up a hand, and deftly caught the slim _kunai_ Sasuke had thrown at her.

"What the-?!" Kotone fumed. She didn't notice that she'd taken action a split second before Sasuke let fly the weapon, hence her non-injury; all she knew was that she'd been so close to losing an eye, and the person responsible for it was _smiling_! She dropped the small knife and came closer to Sasuke, brows furrowed.

"Sasuke," she began, voice low and dangerous - a first since she came to the Leaf village. "Can you please explain why you tried to take my head off?"

Sasuke only smirked, meeting her gaze. When imagined danger hadn't worked, he quickly worked out that he needed to _create_ the danger, which he'd just done. "Perfect." he said, grabbing the hand mirror and holding it in front of the raven-haired girl once more. "_Now_ do you believe me?"

Kotone gasped. There, staring back at her from out of the glass, was the burning red of the Uchiha bloodline limit, coupled with the bulging veins of the Hyuuga's. "No…no way..." she murmured, leaning closer and touching her cheek, as though trying to make sure that what she was seeing truly _was_ her own face.

It was.

"Think you can explain how this happened?" Sasuke asked, his voice still quiet. He slowly set the hand mirror down again and rested one hand lightly on the girl's shoulder.

Kotone shook her head. "No…no, can't. I've heard of these two bloodline limits, but never _had_ them. My family has it's own bloodline trait, but it's not _this_!"

"Whoa, whoa...back up a bit." Sasuke interrupted, his interest piqued now. "The Uchihara clan had a bloodline limit?"

Kotone looked up, all traces of the Sharingan and Byakugan gone from her face, and nodded. "Yeah, we do. It still exists, and I'm one of those who possesses it."

"If you don't mind my asking, what was - sorry - _is_ it?"

"Well, there are different levels, actually..." Kotone sat down on the small cushioned chair and indicated that Sasuke, too, should take a seat, which he did. Then the amethyst-eyed teen went on. "It's called _Korotsukae_, and it had something to do with the psychic abilities of my clan. The most basic form - and the most dominant - was telepathy. The next level was clairvoyance and ability to communicate with spirits. It was this one that my father - the clan head - possessed. And by spirits, I don't mean just those that are dead. A person with this type of bloodline limit would work great in tandem with someone possessing the third and highest level, possessed by less than one percent of the entire clan - the ability of astral projection."

"'Astral projection'?" Sasuke leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees.

"One who possessed this form of our clan's _kekkei genkai_ could project his soul out of the body, rendering it impervious to most injury. But if a sufficient amount of force were applied to a vital area, or if it was fatal enough a blow, then the user could be harmed, but not as much as when he were dealt the blow while his soul _wasn't_ in the astral plane." Kotone explained. "However, this presented problems: while the soul was outside of the body, the user couldn't make use of his techniques, and the longer the time spent in the astral plane, the more vulnerable the body became." Here she stood up and picked up the charm she wore the night before - the one of her family crest.

"That's what our clan symbol stands for," she continued, handing the metal charm to her companion. "The top loop represents the head - the clan's bloodline limit - and the lower one the body - armed and unarmed combat. The symmetry indicates a balance between the psychic and the physical aspects of my clan's combat style."

"Hmm…that's pretty deep symbolism, but it makes sense." Sasuke commented, slowly turning the charm in his hand; it _was _symmetrical, if only horizontally. "So...is there anyone in your family who possesses this third level of the bloodline trait?"

Kotone nodded slowly. "There are currently two clan members who possess the trait: me and my sister."

Sasuke nearly dropped the metal charm in surprise. "So what you mean to say is...you have _three_ bloodline limits?" He had a right to be shocked; no one could possibly possess that many! Acquiring a large repertoire of techniques - like Kakashi had done - was possible, but he knew that the same couldn't be said about _kekkei genkai_. Possessing one already put considerable strain on the user involved (unless he or she was used to it); how much more with three?

"Mirrors don't lie, do they, Sasuke-_san_?" Kotone gave him a sad smile as she took the charm from him and tucked it into the top drawer.

"But...but you have _no_ idea how you...acquired those…?" Sasuke had recovered his wits, and was now more intrigued than ever.

"These eyes? I'm not really sure..." Kotone began slowly, closing her eyes and covering her face with her hands, "but I think it happened after my last mission. I was about to enter the village - I'd told my squad-"

"'Squad'?" Sasuke arched a slim black eyebrow.

A sharp intake of breath, and Kotone smiled sheepishly. "_Gomen_. I meant teammates. I told them to go ahead because I wanted to stay behind for a bit to sketch the sunset over the mountains. Art is one of my hobbies, you see."

Sasuke was becoming a little suspicious, but allowed none of it to show. "So you're an artist. Anyway, go on."

"Well...I was just outside the gates when around four people jumped me from behind. There was a struggle and then, without meaning to, I activated my _kekkei genkai _just as one of my attackers sank a _kunai_ into my gut. They thought I was unconscious, but I wasn't. Then they carried me away."

"Carried you away to where?"

Kotone shuddered slightly. Using as few words and as little time as possible, she described the place she'd escaped from only a few days before. Onyx orbs went wide for the third time that day.

"That...that's Orochimaru's hideout!" he burst out, remembering his short stay with the reptile-like rogue.

"Oro...Orochimaru?" suddenly Kotone didn't look as passive as she had moments ago while narrating what she could recall. She balled her hands into tight, tense fists. "That's the name I saw scribbled on the floor of the demolished Uchihara manor only a few days ago!"

"That's what you meant last night, wasn't it?" Sasuke felt a sudden kinship with the teen in front of him. "When you said that you had no home to return to, you meant your village _and_ your family's manor; everything had been destroyed."

Kotone nodded slowly. "For four years it has lain in ruins. I can feel that my parents are dead - as are the rest of my clan - but I'm not so sure about my younger sister..."

"You're the eldest?" Sasuke almost smiled at how this investigation was turning into a game of question-and-answer.

Another nod, this time accompanied by a small smile. "Her name was Kaoru, and in every aspect we were complete opposites. I enjoyed spending time with my dad, training; she stayed with Mom, gardening and such. I wore my hair long; she preferred hers cut short or tied up. She was outgoing; I kept to myself. The list goes on..." Kotone stopped to take a deep breath, and then went on. "But she was just as skilled as I was when it came to combat." A bitter laugh. "In fact, she was supposed to take the Chuunin exams the year Hanagakure was attacked..."

"...and for all you know, she might be dead. You could be the only Uchihara left." Sasuke thought out loud.

"Yeah, it's possible, isn't it...?" Kotone reached out and laid a hand over Sasuke's. The onyx-eyed teen started, but one glance at the purple orbs and he relaxed.

"Sasuke-_san_?"

"Hmm?"

"Th-thank you...for coming over and asking me all these questions about me..." Kotone began, her voice barely audible. "If you hadn't..." the raven-haired girl fell silent, letting the thought hang in the air.

Sasuke blinked, unsure of how to react. Even _he_ didn't know he'd be acting this way towards the newcomer! What was going on? Then, slowly, like a fawn learning to walk for the first time, a smile crept onto the stoic teen's face. "_Nan demo na..._You're not the only one who's been faced with the prospect of being the last of their kind, Kotone-_san_..." He turned to leave. As far as he was concerned, the interview was over; he'd learned something about their new companion, but not about what he'd been hoping to find. That was all right with him, however.

As he turned the doorknob, Sasuke glanced back over his shoulder. "Oh, and you might want to see Kakashi about helping you set up a meeting with Hokage-_sama_."

"Huh?"

"You're going to need cash to help you find your sister, right? And the only way to earn money is by working - missions, probably a teaching job at the Academy if you don't mind screaming brats, and stuff like that..." The mahogany panel swung open, and the Uchiha was gone, leaving Kotone to her thoughts.

At length, she stood up and walked over to the window, where a gentle breeze was blowing through. She knew Sasuke was right - that she'd need to set up some sort of agreement with the village head - but she knew that that entailed presenting certain paperwork - documents that she'd rather keep under wraps. Besides, she didn't have them with her; they were most likely destroyed along with Hanagakure. She sighed.

She had to try; it was the only choice she had.

* * *

"So you'd like to start operating as a unit of Konoha?" The Godaime Hokage, Tsunade, looked up from the sheaf of papers on her desk, amber eyes boring into Kotone's amethyst ones. It had been two days since Sasuke had visited her for his little investigation, and now Kotone found herself standing in an office room, having a private audience with the village head herself. 

"_Hai_."

"And so soon after you got here, too..." The Fifth Hokage got up, circling the table and standing in front of the sixteen-year old _kunoichi_. "Why so anxious?"

Kotone took a deep breath and told Tsunade the same thing she'd told Sasuke, leaving out the fact that she had two _doujutsu_ in addition to her clan's special ability.

"So you wish to earn enough to finance your search for your missing sister..." the amber-eyed woman turned away, going to stand by the glass window. "But-"

_Knock, knock_!

"Excuse me," Tsunade said, making her way over to the oak door that led to the outside hallway and opening it. "Ah, Kakashi, there you are. Did you find the papers?"

"Yes, I did. It was quite easy to find Kotone-_san_'s documents; I doubt there's another _kunoichi_ with such a name..."

"I hope you brought them with you. Please, come in. Oh, and I hope you don't mind another person in the room; she was anxious to talk with me, so I decided to accommodate her."

"'Her'?" Kakashi's silver-haired head peeked in, and he smiled. "...Oh. _Ohayou_, Kotone-_san_..."

Kotone blinked hard, not bothering to reply. Kakashi had found her paperwork? _But...how-?_

Tsunade laid a hand on the younger _kunoichi_'s shoulder and, as though reading her thoughts, said, "Around a year ago, I came across a report that had been filed two years before. It told of the destruction of Hanagakure and how the relief teams we had sent out had arrived too late. They were able to salvage the bulk of the documents in your village's archives, though; these, that they brought back with them.

"We kept them, of course, since that village _is_ part of the Fire Country and is practically under our jurisdiction. Because you were in no shape for a one-on-one interview with me - or another of my subordinates - when you first arrived, I asked Kakashi to delve a little into your background - meaning he had to find your registration papers and stuff. Once he learned you were from Hana, the search became easier from there."

"And here they are!" Kakashi finished cheerfully, handing the five-page document to the Hokage. For around ten minutes they stood there while Tsunade read through it, her amber eyes flitting back and forth across the pages. Suddenly, the golden orbs grew wide, and Tsunade peered over the top of the paper to glance, bewildered, first at Kakashi, then at Kotone.

_What's wrong? Why is the Hokage acting like that?_ Kakashi thought, throwing a sideward glance at the young _kunoichi_.

"Well, Kotone, I must say I'm...surprised by what I've read here..." Tsunade began. She then turned to the silver-haired jounin and gave a small smile. "Well, Kakashi, it appears we have another prodigy in our midst."

"Kotone-_san_?" Kakashi's single visible eye widened, but not much. "Why do you say so?"

"You didn't read the file; that much is obvious." Tsunade smiled again. "Anyway, Kotone, you have quite a remarkable record. 83 D-rank, 69 C-rank, 55 B-rank, 28 A-rank, and 15 S-rank missions. Quite an achievement." She paused to flip to another page of the file; she'd read it only minutes ago, but she had to make sure she'd read it correctly. "And the explanation for that is: you entered the Konohagakure Ninja Academy when you were five years old. Hmm...one of only three _ninja_ from Hanagakure for that year. I wonder if your old school records are still there...Anyway, you began your training at age five, and then graduated when you were seven-"

"Hmm…Only two years, huh?" Kakashi mused out loud. Tsunade cleared her throat, and the silver-haired man stopped talking. The amber-eyed woman gave a satisfied smile and went on.

"At age eight, you became Chuunin and, at the same time, were recruited into the ANBU. You quickly rose through the ranks, and then were promoted to squad captain at the age of twelve." Tsunade laid the papers on the desk. "Hence the hefty number of high-rank missions you have under your belt."

"Uh..." Kotone fidgeted, not knowing what to say. She hated this feeling, as though she had been thrown into a spotlight.

"Well," Tsunade said after what seemed hours, "I wouldn't want to let these records go to waste, and, seeing as you were - technically - an external unit of this village, I would be more than willing to help you in searching for your sister. I'll have to give it a bit more thought, though; I'll just ask Kakashi to fetch you when I've come up with a decision." She glanced at the masked jounin. "That is, if it's no trouble for you, Kakashi."

Kakashi inclined his head slightly. "Of course, no problem at all, Hokage-_sama_."

"And you, Kotone?" Tsunade turned back to the amethyst-eyed teen. "You don't mind waiting?"

Kotone shook her head. "No, Hokage-_sama_, I don't mind at all."

"Very well, then. That will be all."

oOo

A/N: Well, as promised, more on the 'combined _kekkei genkai_' thing, and the _kekkei genkai_ of the Uchihara clan. The name 'Korotsukae' is actually derived from two words: _kokoro_ ('heart' or 'spirit') and _tsukae _('to use'). As for the combined Byakugan and Sharingan, the idea actually came from a friend of mine, whose original character was the first recipient of this combined bloodline limit. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to ask her permission to use her idea because it seems that she's doing everything in her power to avoid me (and I've no idea why...). So, this is the next best permissible thing I could do, I guess.

Now that I've cleared _that_ up...

Peace out! _Dewa mata_ and God bless!


	5. Chapter 4: First Light

A/N: Oh, my goodness! I'm actually out with a new chapter after only a couple of days, a week, at the very most... O.o I think this is the result of playing too much Fire Emblem on the GBA (I'm soooooo not 'in'), and reading Eric Lustbader's novels. His fight scenes are the best! XD Just ignore the, uh..._really_ 'hot' stuff...

Well, I hope everyone enjoys this new chapter!

Disclaimer: no own, no sue...except for Kotone. She's MINE!

**

* * *

**

**Chapter 4: First Light**

"Sakura-_san_!"

The pink-haired girl turned around upon hearing her name, and then smiled upon seeing who it was.

"Kotone! _Ohayou_!" She called, waving. Sakura didn't think Kotone would mind if the honorific from the end of her name were dropped; she just wished Kotone would do the same with _her_ name.

She stopped walking for a while to allow the raven-haired teen to catch up, which Kotone did after a few moments.

"Where are you off to, Kotone?" she asked as soon as Kotone had caught her breath and the two had resumed walking.

"Uh...I recieved a summons earlier this morning from Hokage-_sama_."

"So soon after you arrived in Konoha?" Sakura looked surprised; as far as she knew, Kotone was as gentle-natured as they came, and she had done nothing to merit something as serious - and nerve-wracking - as a private audience with the village leader.

"Is...is there a...problem?" the jade-eyed girl inquired further. She hoped there wasn't. But if there was...

What could it be?

To Sakura's relief, the amethyst-eyed teen shook her head.

"Nope. She...just wants to talk to me about something we discussed last week regarding my stay here in Konohagakure."

"..."

Kotone seemed to sense her friend's anxiety for her, because she suddenly laid a hand on Sakura's shoulder.

"Don't worry, Sakura; it's not as serious as you think. Anyway, I'm going this way now-" with a jerk of her free hand, Kotone indicated the right-hand road - "and I wouldn't want to trouble you by asking you to accompany me all the way to her office building."

The pink-haired teen hesitated, and then gave a small smile; Kotone could take care of herself, after all.

"Well, I guess I'll see you later, then," Sakura replied, tilting her head to the side, her smile a bit wider now.

"_Ja_, _mata atode_, Sakura-_san_." was the hurried reply, and then Kotone fairly flew off down the path.

* * *

"Hokage-_sama_?" Kotone called uncertainly as she stepped into the darkened chamber. _Strange..._ she thought, glancing about. What on earth would the village leader want to meet her in such a place? 

The large room was almost entirely in shadow, save for the small area near the door, lit by what light crept through the still-open doorway; even darker shadows loomed left and right. She studied the strange, almost grotesque silhouettes; these, whatever they were, were set at random. She shivered; she could almost imagine horrible faces carved into these gigantic figures, leering and jeering at her from where they stood.

She took a step forward, and nearly jumped when the door suddenly slammed shut without her touching it. _Nearly_ jumped, but she caught herself in time; she was supposed to be a unit from the Ansatsu Senjutsu Tokushou Butai - ANBU - after all, and these elite nin were not supposed to be caught off-guard. Well, except for that one incident which led to her subsequent capture -

Kotone shook her head, night-black hair brushing back and forth along her back (she'd tied it up into a high ponytail that day). Best not to think of that at this point; now, she had to concentrate on finding her way out of this room - whatever this room was - alive. Preferably in one piece.

She moved into a ready stance, one hand moving slowly to the midnight blue weapons pouch at her right hip. She brought out a _kunai_ and, her movements still painfully slowed, brought her right hand up and held it along her front, crossing her chest at an angle, the blade running almost parallel to her forearm.

The amethyst-eyed teen forced herself to relax, take deep breaths, readying herself. With the chamber as dim as it was, she knew she would have to rely mostly on sound - an easy feat, she thought, seeing as how the chamber was as quiet and still as it was dark.

Suddenly, movement from behind her and up above. But how many? Her eyes snapped open instinctively - as one would do when waking up from a sightless, disquieting nightmare - chakra swirling unknowingly into them. And then, quite surprisingly, she could _see_ her attackers, were they real enemies. But, strangely, she wasn't seeing their physical forms, really, but their chakra circulation systems.

There were two coming down on her from different angles, and only one from behind. And, somehow, she could see how they were armed. The first one - leaping down at a trajectory point of around at 45 degrees to the downward vertical, was clutching a _manrikigusari_, a three-foot long chain with two weighted ends; his partner, clutched several _shuriken_; and the last one held a _katana_.

As surprising as this was, it seemed to her they were all moving in slow motion, each gesture broken down into what looked like a hundred or more frames, with only minute differences between each one. She experienced something like this in the restaurant her first night in Konoha, and again last week when she and Sasuke had talked; still, she hadn't expected a repeat performance.

She shoved this to the back of her mind; now was not the time. Moving quickly now, she transferred the _kunai_ to her left hand and reached back into her weapons pouch and drew out four _shuriken_. She stepped slightly to the left and, after aiming carefully - the second attacker's small blades were already flying - let hers go, one after the other, with quick, short flicks of her right wrist. She paid no mind to the series of slim metal colliding with slim metal. The one with the _manrikigusari_ was beginning his offensive, as was the sword-wielder; she had to time this just right. Otherwise...

Kotone returned to where she stood before the attacks started, then off to the right. Then, thought translating into action, she leapt forward, slashing her _kunai_ obliquely upward, deflecting the deadly blade of the sickle. The resounding jangle of the chain as it recoiled on itself told her precisely where to reach out and grab it, which she did, yanking the man towards the ground. There was no muffled _thump_, but a slight tremor in the earth as the thwarted nin - she was sure they were all ninjas here - corrected his descent pattern, landing on his feet and bounding back upwards. He would return for another attack, she knew, but now there was the third attacker to think about.

Now in possession of the _manrikigusari_, she turned to face the swordsman and let fly the sickle, careful not to hit the man himself; she was aiming only to deprive him of his weapon so he could be dealt with safely. There was a sudden satisfying tautness in the chain; the weight had done its work, its aerodynamic shape allowing it to spiral around the blade of the _katana_ and bringing the loose section of chain with it, effectively preventing further bladed attacks. With a swift pull, she wrenched the sword away, and then, just as quickly, threw the weapons far to the side.

And then, more movement. It wasn't so much the perception of movement, but the sudden, subtle change in the air, as if anything moving against it was causing dents in the invisible wall. The jet black-haired girl glanced around quickly; there were too many to be dealt with at any one time, so she'd be forced to take the defensive. She dodged several incapacitating blows, blocked others, and threw some of her own, all in an effor to buy her time. She knocked down quite a few ninja as well, using her feet to floor them or kick them so high in the upper region that their balance would be lost and they would fall over. After assuring herself that no more were coming, she backflipped towards what she hoped was the exit, then rounded up on her feet; there would be less attackers in this portion of the chamber, she hoped.

She stepped forward cautiously, the chakra draining from her eyes so that she had to rely on normal eyesight once more, as well as her hearing and touch. She reached out and touched warm wood. She almost sighed in relief, but stepped back. Wood wasn't, _couldn't _be warm in a room such as this! Purple orbs narrowed; there was one more ninja back here. Then she remembered that there had been another grotesquely twisted column in this area, and from her vantage point a few minutes ago, she couldn't have spotted this last one.

Drawing out another _kunai_ - the first one she had had to throw in an evasive maneuver earlier - she stepped back just as the concealed _shinobi _lunged at her. Kotone blinked in surprise. This one was a bit on the short side, not like the others she'd fought just now. There was a warning flash of steel, and Kotone countered from the left middle attribute, slashing the other's _kunai_ away from its intended path towards her abdomen. She moved quickly into the upper attitude, countering a downward slash from this last attacker. The raven-haired girl knew instinctively that she was taking too much time with this one opponent and that the others could be waiting to ambush her soon, but it was a risk she was willing to take. And a necessary one, for this opponent matched her nearly blow for blow, striking and blocking with as much speed and precision as she herself possessed.

_This has to end soon..._ Kotone thought vaguely as she countered a fatal slash to her neck with a sidestep-slash combo, drawing the opponent's weapon vertically upward. At last she heard the signal that this portion of this unexpected confrontation was over: there was a _thunk!_ as the opposing _kunai_ embedded itself into the wooden wall. The amethyst-eyed teen was ready to face the rest of the attackers now, but...

"That's enough!" a familiar voice rang out throught the darkness. Kotone glanced up, towards where the voice seemed to be coming.

"Hokage-_sama_?" she called hesitantly, unsure of what to expect this time. Then she blinked as the lights, all at once, came on, surging into her pupils and blinding her for a time; she'd gotten used to the shadows and needed a few moments to adjust to the brightness. She glanced up again, smiled when she made out the familiar outline of Tsunade, who jumped down from what looked like the highest of the stone mounds - for that was what the strange, twisted, looming shapes had been - and landed gracefully in front of her.

"Well done, Kotone," the blonde commented, clapping her hands to some silent rhythm known only to her.

"Tsunade-_sama_, I don't understand," Kotone said in reply, in effect admitting to her confusion. "What just happened?"

"Just a little entertainment I cooked up to see if your skills were intact - which, apparently, still are, even after four years of dormancy - and to make sure that you were the _real_ Uchihara Kotone; for all I knew, it could be one of Konoha's enemies donning a clever disguise. Orochimaru, in particular, was of great speculation, his having held you captive a _very_ big factor in considering this possibility."

"I see. So who-"

"Several Jounin, Tokubetsu Chuunin, and Chuunin I called on for help in administering this little...test, if you will. Oh, and a few ANBU, maybe two or three."

Kotone just stood, processing the information she'd just recieved. She thought to herself that it had been a good decision on her part not to employ devastating force when attacking and counterattacking during the 'test'; if she hadn't, the village would be short quite a few skilled ninja. Then she glanced up at Tsunade, skeptical. The Hokage wasn't telling her the whole truth; she could feel it.

"Was there anything else, Hokage-_sama_?" she asked. She wasn't suspicious of the village leader, just curious. She could feel, too, that it was something...pleasant, to say the least.

The ninja who had attacked her last answered for Tsunade.

"_Onee-san_?"

Kotone's head snapped in the direction of the ninja who had just spoken, shocked. The voice...it was so familiar!

And yet...

She stepped forward tentatively, willing herself not to expect anything for fear of being sorely disappointed.

_But could it really be...?_

She reached out a hand towards the mask, the single wall that stood between her and knowledge. But the owner of that mask beat her to it.

Slowly, the mask - one with the face of a cat - came off, and Kotone gasped, a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

"You..." she breathed, hardly daring to believe what her eyes told her was real.

Brown-black hair, tied back into a low ponytail, the end slung carelessly over one shoulder...

Eyes of a blue so deep it was like staring into the depths of the sea...a slow, shy smile, growing wider still...

And the small silver charm bracelet, from which dangled a single charm, its design very familiar.

The symbol of the Uchihara clan.

"Kaoru...?"

* * *

A/N: Wooh! First fairly detailed combat scene! P Believe me, it's hard working out which words to use to describe various actions and reactions...If anyone has problems understanding a particular portion of the entire fight, don't be afraid to ask; I'd gladly try my best to explain. 

Well, I'm off to work on my _ninjutsu_ research paper!

Peace out and God bless!


End file.
